Comments on: New Column: Lesbian Child Custody Battles and Heterosexual Divorce http://deanesmay.com/2008/08/05/new-column-lesbian-child-custody-battles-and-heterosexual-divorce/ Defending the liberal tradition in history, science, and philosophy. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:50:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Elizabeth Reid http://deanesmay.com/2008/08/05/new-column-lesbian-child-custody-battles-and-heterosexual-divorce/#comment-160517 Elizabeth Reid Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:53:13 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/08/05/new-column-lesbian-child-custody-battles-and-heterosexual-divorce/#comment-160517 I don't think I've ever seen advocates of marriage rights for gays argue that 'heterosexual marriage doesn't work'.  What I have seen is arguments that many, if not most, hetero marriages don't meet the gold standard of marriage sanctity any more than homosexual marriages do.  If the only acceptable and sin-free marriage is a religiously based marriage between two virgins who remain faithful to each other until they die and use their sexual relationship to procreate, then lots of ordinary marriages don't qualify either.  My own marriage, for example, wouldn't be any more acceptable to the religious right than a gay one if they knew the details.  It's an argument that works pretty well, IMHO. I agree with Scott's remark about NOW.  If women never committed domestic violence, lesbian relationships wouldn't include any, and they do.  Just last year in my home town, a woman used her car to attack her ex-girlfriend's new girlfriend and the new girlfriend's son.   (I think the new girlfriend died and the son lived if I remember correctly.)  I don’t think I’ve ever seen advocates of marriage rights for gays argue that ‘heterosexual marriage doesn’t work’.  What I have seen is arguments that many, if not most, hetero marriages don’t meet the gold standard of marriage sanctity any more than homosexual marriages do.  If the only acceptable and sin-free marriage is a religiously based marriage between two virgins who remain faithful to each other until they die and use their sexual relationship to procreate, then lots of ordinary marriages don’t qualify either.  My own marriage, for example, wouldn’t be any more acceptable to the religious right than a gay one if they knew the details.  It’s an argument that works pretty well, IMHO.

I agree with Scott’s remark about NOW.  If women never committed domestic violence, lesbian relationships wouldn’t include any, and they do.  Just last year in my home town, a woman used her car to attack her ex-girlfriend’s new girlfriend and the new girlfriend’s son.   (I think the new girlfriend died and the son lived if I remember correctly.) 

]]> By: Scott Kirwin http://deanesmay.com/2008/08/05/new-column-lesbian-child-custody-battles-and-heterosexual-divorce/#comment-160505 Scott Kirwin Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:51:41 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/08/05/new-column-lesbian-child-custody-battles-and-heterosexual-divorce/#comment-160505 <p>Kevin I don't recall seeing or hearing gay marriage advocates question whether straight marriage works or not. I do recall hearing them ask for the same rights as straights when it comes to the law, and I support those legal rights. However there is no concept of "sin" in the law; that's strictly a religious concept (and one that varies I might add from religion to religion). Whether homosexuality is a sin depends on your religious beliefs. The problem with marriage is that the term mixes legal rights with religious traditions - and this is why I believe the only solution is for Government to get out of the marriage biz. Property division and child welfare are legalities that can be handled by existing contract law.</p> <p>Your religion bans gay marriage? Okay by me. However gays should have the ability to have the same protection of law that you and your wife do when it comes to kids and property.</p> <p>As for Glenn's article, I wonder when NOW will wake up and realize that the world is much more complicated than their simplistic view that Men are the root of all Evil. His article is proof.</p> Kevin
I don’t recall seeing or hearing gay marriage advocates question whether straight marriage works or not. I do recall hearing them ask for the same rights as straights when it comes to the law, and I support those legal rights.

However there is no concept of "sin" in the law; that’s strictly a religious concept (and one that varies I might add from religion to religion). Whether homosexuality is a sin depends on your religious beliefs.

The problem with marriage is that the term mixes legal rights with religious traditions – and this is why I believe the only solution is for Government to get out of the marriage biz. Property division and child welfare are legalities that can be handled by existing contract law.

Your religion bans gay marriage? Okay by me. However gays should have the ability to have the same protection of law that you and your wife do when it comes to kids and property.

As for Glenn’s article, I wonder when NOW will wake up and realize that the world is much more complicated than their simplistic view that Men are the root of all Evil. His article is proof.

]]> By: Kevin D. http://deanesmay.com/2008/08/05/new-column-lesbian-child-custody-battles-and-heterosexual-divorce/#comment-160486 Kevin D. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:25:44 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/08/05/new-column-lesbian-child-custody-battles-and-heterosexual-divorce/#comment-160486 I don't know if I should laugh wryly or simply say, "I told you so." Perhaps, "You reap what you sow?" When you redefine what a marriage is to include homosexual marriage why <em>wouldn't</em> you expect the same dysfunctions?  I <em>must</em> laugh when gay marriage advocates point at heterosexual divorce ratio as some sort of indicator that heterosexual marriage doesn't work!  Given Glenn's example above I think it's plain ludicrous to think homosexuality unions won't have the same failure ratio.  In fact, given that community often encourages the practice of multiple partners, I would bring into question the validity of numbers that indicated a lower instance of divorce/separation. But the bottom line, in my eyes is this: Homosexuality is sin.  Satan will use whatever he can to tear away at the institutions of God.  So, he'll use homosexual marriage to demean and lessen the righteousness of marriage.  But he won't stop there because he can't.  He doesn't want homosexuals in happy monogamous relationships either.  So, he'll tear away at homosexual unions as he does with heterosexual unions. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Period.  Those that want to call sin not sin are not beyond the notice of a creature that wants everyone dead. I don’t know if I should laugh wryly or simply say, "I told you so."

Perhaps, "You reap what you sow?"

When you redefine what a marriage is to include homosexual marriage why wouldn’t you expect the same dysfunctions?  I must laugh when gay marriage advocates point at heterosexual divorce ratio as some sort of indicator that heterosexual marriage doesn’t work!  Given Glenn’s example above I think it’s plain ludicrous to think homosexuality unions won’t have the same failure ratio.  In fact, given that community often encourages the practice of multiple partners, I would bring into question the validity of numbers that indicated a lower instance of divorce/separation.

But the bottom line, in my eyes is this:

Homosexuality is sin.  Satan will use whatever he can to tear away at the institutions of God.  So, he’ll use homosexual marriage to demean and lessen the righteousness of marriage.  But he won’t stop there because he can’t.  He doesn’t want homosexuals in happy monogamous relationships either.  So, he’ll tear away at homosexual unions as he does with heterosexual unions.

Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Period.  Those that want to call sin not sin are not beyond the notice of a creature that wants everyone dead.

]]>